February 9/18 11:44 am - Tour of California Announces 2018 Routes

Posted by Editoress on 02/9/18

The organizers of the Amgen Tour of California have announced the 2018 race routes for the women's and men's events. The men's race will cover 1038 kilometres over seven stages between May 13th and 19th, while the women will race 301 kilometres over three stages between May 17th and 19th. For only the third time, the race will run south to north, with both events finishing in the stat capital, Sacramento.

With seven new courses between them, the annual professional cycling events are the only U.S. races on the UCI WorldTour calendar and attract some of the most renowned cyclists and teams in the world. The Amgen Tour of California is designed to cover a variety of terrain, allowing different types of specialists among the field of the world's greatest cyclists to shine throughout the week. 2018 will mark the third time the race will run south to north.

Peter Sagan will come into the Amgen Tour of California defending his seventh California Green Jersey for the race's overall Sprint competition. "Building up to the Tour de France with a strong performance at the Amgen Tour of California is always an important goal. The race is one of my favorite competitions every year - always challenging competition and such beautiful scenery - and I'm excited to return and try for more stage wins this year!" said Sagan.

"I'm excited about the season ahead and will be working hard to make the 2018 season a hugely successful one. The Amgen Tour of California has always been an incredibly special race for me, and will once again be a priority in my race calendar this year in the lead-up to the Tour de France," said Mark Cavendish.

"I like racing as well as training in California - I can see the beach and do altitude training all in one place. I've always had a really good time at the Amgen Tour of California and am excited to compete this year," said Marcel Kittel, who claimed the opening stage last year.

"We have such an exciting mix of courses, cities and world-class athletes coming together for the 2018 Amgen Tour of California men's and women's races," said Kristin Klein, president of the Amgen Tour of California and executive vice president of AEG Sports. "Sports fans - and California fans - everywhere can start counting down the days for a can't-miss pairing of the best in sports and the best of the west."

With parts of the state still impacted by wildfires and subsequent mudslides, affected portions of the route will be inspected up until race time, and race routes are subject to change to ensure fan and rider safety.

Presented by Visit California, a visual overview of the men's and women's courses is viewable Here. The stages of the 2018 Amgen Tour of California: